Aiming apparatus for guns on armored cars and for other purposes



E. SCHNEIDER.

AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1913.

1,363,359. Patented Dec. 28,1920. 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. E. SCHNEIDER. AIMING APPARATQS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS ANDFOR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13 198- 1,363,359. Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f (for E. SCHNEIDER.

AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1918.

E. SCHNEIDER. AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13 I913- L Pamented Dec. 28, 1920.

-WJM W WI E. SCHNEIDER. AIIVIING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

, APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3, IQIB- 1,363,359. Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEEI 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR 'I'O SCHNEIDER & CIE., 0F PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

AIMING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0N ARMORED CARS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed September 13, 1918. Serial No. 253,991.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Republic, and a resident of 42 Rue dAnjou, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Improved Aiming Apparatus for Guns on Armored Cars and for other Purposes, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved aiming apparatus for guns mounted on armored cars and for other purposes.

The improved apparatus is characterized by the feature that it comprises a telescope sharing the movements of the gun cradle combined with an eye-piece mounted at the free end of a cranked tubular arm which is movable at its other end in or on the said telescope. Suitable optical elements for reflecting the images are mounted in the movable cranked arm that carries the eye-piece.-

The eye-piece can thus be brought to different levels relatively to the axis of the telescope, thus enabling more particularly its position to be accommodated to the position of the eye of the gun-layer according to the varying inclination of the gun barrel, said position always being suitably out of axis relatively to the telescope.

The invention comprises a device for mounting the telescope applied to an armored gun carriage or vehicle which allows of keeping it always completely under shelter. The invention also comprises various means for adjusting, in mounting, the parallelism between the axis of the telescope and the axis of the gun barrel when the relative position of these two elements is invariable.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a gun adapted to be mounted on an assaulting car, provided with the improved aiming apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end elevation,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section drawn to a larger scale, of a constructional form of the improved aiming apparatus and of the improved devices for adjusting the parallelism between the optical axis of the telescope and the axis of the gun barrel.

Fig. .5 is a corresponding partial plan.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are cross sections respectively on the lines VI-VI and VII-VII of Fig. 4 and on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a detail elevation drawn to a larger scale of one of the parts of the telescope.

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view of the front end of the telescope.

The improved aiming apparatus comprises a telescope A mounted in a bracket 3 fixed to the gun cradle D in which the gun barrel C is adapted to recoil. The gun barrel and the cradle are of any suitable desired construction. The gun cradle is journaled by means of its trunnions d in a pedestal E and is adapted to be moved by means of any suitable mechanism, through a variable angle of elevation. The telescope A is arranged in such a manner that itsoptical axis ww is exactly parallel to the axis of the gun barrel. This parallelism is adjusted in the mounting of the parts, and is maintained irrespective of the inclination given to the cradle D.

According to the invention the eye-piece F is mounted in the free end limb G ofa cranked tubular arm or ray -bending tube G the other limb G of which is movable in or on the telescope A. The entity -(3rG -F is thus movable about the axis w-m of the telescope. The said entity comprises the requisite optical devices, 7g, g g 9 for reflecting the image received by the objective H to the eye-piece F in any position which it may be convenient to give to the said eye-piece.

It is to be understood that on turning the movable eye-piece-carrier G-F about the axis ma2, the eye-piece F can at any moment he brought into such a position as will save the eye of the gun-layer from having to execute an exaggerated displacement for the varying elevations of the gun barrel.

The telescope A contains in the usual manner behind the objective H, a finder I the flat face of which carries a micronometer (Fig. 9). o

A brake may be provided for preventing any untoward rotation of the eye-piece-carrier G after the latter has been brought by the gun-layer into the proper position corresponding to the inclination chosen for the gun barrel. This brake may consist as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 8, of a flexible strip or band J coiled tightly around the telescope, or more strictly speaking, around the parts K"; K clampin' tube A which is mounted and fixed in the latter.

diately this rotation ceases, the band will resume its initial tension and will keep the sleeve A stationary on the limb G 01; the

cranked eye-piece carrier G --G--F.

For the purpose of adjusting the parallelis'm between the optical axis 00- -03 of the telescope and the axis of the gun barrel, there may be employed for instance the device shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown, the telescope A is mounted in two bearings b, 6 formed on a bracket B. This bracket is pivoted at its forward end on the gun cradle D, by'means of a screw B arranged in the common axial plane of the gun barrel and telescope. At the rear the bracket B has lugs B in which are formed slots 6 througliwhich'bolts pass for'fastening these lugs to the cradle'D. By'suitablymoving the bracket 13 around the screw B it is possible to adjust horizontally the; position of the axis w+aa The vertical position may be adjusted in the known manner by'means of thin metal sheets inserted between the bracket B and its rear bearing on the cradle. When the position of the telescope has been finally adjusted, the telescope or aring fixed to thlatter is clamped in the bearingb by means of, screws B.

"Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive illustrate another means for adjusting the parallelism between the axis m-w' ofthe telescope and the axis of the gun barrel.

In this example, the front bearing for supporting, the. telescope is made in two between them a spherical bearing-Step1, 2 in which the telescope A5 ismounted. At the rear the telescope issuspended by means of a ring L froma scre'w threaded stem M by means of a horizontal pivot m. The stem M maybe moved in a nut N held by a' groove n in an eye of larger diameter formed at the top of the rear bracket 0; This bracket 0 is fixed to the gun Cradle 1). The inclination oftheaxis m -sis adjusted by moving the stem; M up ordown. The position of the said'axis in the horizontal plane is adjusted bymoving the nut Nin the bracket C). P are screws for clamping the ring L for the purpose offixing the telescope after adjust- Illnt;

' As-shown in -Figs. 1 to 3, that part of the The m ddle urn 9' f hi ba passes through a notch in a driver G that telescope that projects from the spherical shield Q, that is adapted tomove in an embrasure in the armor R of the vehicle, is protected by an armored sheath S pierced with an aperture s to allow the, light to pass through. The sheath 3 is attached to'a part which does not recoil with the gun barrel, but shares the elevating movements of the gun cradle.

In the constructional example shown, the telescope is arranged in such a manner as to serve at the same time as an aiming device, but it is to be understood that any known system of independent aiming apparatus may be used in conjunction with the improved apparatus.

What is claimed is 2-- 1. In aiming apparatus for guns mounted on a cradle, the combination of a telescope having its objective tube mounted on the gun cradle with its optical axis in fixed parallel relation to the axis of the gun barrel, and a ray-bending tube carrying an eye piece at one end and revolubly mountedat the other end on the rear end of the ob'ective tube, the ray-bending tube having iree angular movement around the axis of the objective tubeindependent of any movement or adjustment of the objective tube, so that the eye piece can be manually swung in a circular path including opposite sides of the gun barrel and adjusted to different levels;

having its objective tube mounted on the gun cradle, means for adjustingthe objective tube on the cradle so that the axis of the tube is in fixed parallel relation. to the axis of the gun barrel, and a ray-bending tube carrying an eye piece at one end and revolubly mounted at the otherendon the rear end of the objective tube, the ray bending tube having free angular, movement around the axis of the objective tube independent of any movement or adjustment of the objective tube, so that the eyepiece can be manually swung in a circular path including opposite sides of the gun barrel and adjusted to-dilferent levels.

3. In aimin on a cradle, the combination of a telescope having its objective tube mounted on the gun cradle with its optical axis in fixedparallel relation to the axis of the gun barrel, a ray-bending tube carrying an eyepiece at one end and revolubly mounted at the other end on the rear end of the, objective tube, the ray-bending tube having free angular movement around the axis of the objective tube independent of any movement or adjustment of theobjective tube, so that the eye piece can bemanually swung in a circular path including opposite sidesof the apparatus for guns mounted gun barrel andadjusted to difierent levels,

and means for braking the ray-bending tube in its movement around the objective tube to hold the eye piece in its adjustments.

4. In aiming apparatus for guns mounted on a cradle, the combination of a telescope having its objective tube mounted to move with the gun cradle and with the optical axis of said tube parallel to the axis of the gun barrel, a ray-bending tube revolubly mounted at one end on the objective tube and carrying an eye piece at its free end, said ray-bending tube having free angular adjustment in a plane normal to the axis of the objective tube to accommodate the eye piece to a varying position of the gun layer and to the shifting inclination of the gun barrel, and means for braking the ray-bending tube to hold the latter in its adjustments comprising a spiral clamping band mounted on the objective tube, a notched abutment fast to the ray-bending tube against which abut the ends of the clamping band, the middle turn of said band passing through said notch whereby when force is applied to turn the ray-bending tube the brake releases and when the force is withdrawn the brake is applied. a

5. In aiming apparatus for guns mounted on a cradle, the combination of a telescope having its objective tube mounted to move with the gun cradle, and means for position ing the objective tube with its optical axis in parallel relation with the axis of the gun barrel comprising a spherical bearing support for the front end of the objective tube rotatably mounted on the gun cradle, a second support for the rear end of the objec tive tube comprising a ring engagingsaid tube, a bracket fixed on the gun cradle, a vertically adjustable pivotal connection between the ring and bracket, and means for laterally adjusting the ring in the bracket.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. EUGENE SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

ANDRI J Nos'rIoKER, J orm F. SIMONE. 

